Fashion designer Leyla Piedayesh is hoping for lasting change in the face of the protests in Iran. The designer was born in the country, came to Germany as a child and later founded the fashion label Lala Berlin. “I hope everything changes,” said Piedayesh. “I cannot imagine that hijab can still exist in the form it has been imposed up to now.”
She hopes that the rule on wearing a headscarf is not the only thing that will change, but that there will be more, Piedayesh told the German Press Agency. It is not just about reforms, but about changing the entire system.
In Iran, thousands are demonstrating across the country against the government’s repressive course and the Islamic system of rule. The protests were triggered by the death of 22-year-old Iranian Kurd Mahsa Amini in mid-September. The vice squad arrested her for allegedly violating Islamic dress codes. The woman died in police custody on September 16.
Piedayesh is now involved with other women. According to her, a group of Iranian women from a wide variety of backgrounds has come together. At selected events, a sweater will be sold for a good cause. “All of a sudden, networks and connections arise that you didn’t even know existed and that they could do so much.” (dpa)